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This TRMM satellite image on Dec. 30 at 1310 UTC (8:10 a.m. EST) shows some areas of System 98S's rainfall in blue and yellow, which represents between 0 and 20 millimeters of rainfall per hour (.78 inch/hour). The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour. Red areas are considered heavy rainfall at almost 2 inches per hour and are off-shore.Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce
System 98S is long gone, and the low pressure area behind it called System 99S doesn't have much of a chance of developing either.

The low pressure area called System 98S has dissipated in northern Western Australia after skirting the coast this past weekend. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that as of January 2 at 1800 UTC (1 p.m. EST), System 98S had dissipated and no regeneration is possible.

Another low pressure area called System 99S is poorly organized and has a poor chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.
At 1800 UTC (1 p.m. EST) on January 3, it was about 435 nautical miles west-northwest of Learmonth, Australia near 19.4 South latitude and 106.9 East longitude. Recent infrared satellite imagery, such as that from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite, showed that it's center was fully exposed. Sea level pressure was reported at 1000 millibars., and the low level center was drifting northward into an area of warmer waters which normally could help strengthen it, if there wasn't stronger wind shear in that area as well. Forecasters aren't expecting System 99S to develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours and give it a poor chance of doing so.

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This TRMM satellite image on Dec. 30 at 1310 UTC (8:10 a.m. EST) shows some areas of System 98S's rainfall in blue and yellow, which represents between 0 and 20 millimeters of rainfall per hour (.78 inch/hour). The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour. Red areas are considered heavy rainfall at almost 2 inches per hour and are off-shore.Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce
System 98S is currently bringing rains and gusty winds to the northwestern coast of Western Australia, and NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite spotted areas of moderate to heavy rainfall in the system.

NASA's TRMM satellite captured an image of System 98S' rainfall when it passed overhead in space on Dec. 30 at 1310 UTC (8:10 a.m. EST). TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA that can estimate rainfall in a tropical cyclone from its vantage point in space.The heaviest rainfall was occurring over the Southern Indian Ocean while light to moderate rainfall - up to 40 millimeters (mm) or 1.57 inches per hour - was occurring over land areas near Kununurra at that time. Kununurra is located in the heart of the Kimberley in Western Australia, one of the world's great wilderness areas.

At 1200 UTC (7 a.m. EST or 8 p.m.) on Dec. 30, the center was near the border of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Kununurra and 45 kilometers (28 miles) east southeast of Wyndham. It is moving west- southwest at 28 kilometers (18 miles) per hour.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology warns that coastal areas of the west Kimberley between Kuri Bay and Wallal including Broome can expect a period of strong winds and heavy rain overnight from Friday into Saturday morning. Heavy rainfall of 100 to 150mm (4 to 6 inches) is expected in the north and west Kimberley over the next two days as the system moves westward with significant rises in rivers and streams. Residents should be prepared for local flooding.

System 98S is forecast to move to the west-southwest and move off the west Kimberley coast late Friday or early Saturday (local time) into the Southern Indian Ocean where it expected to strengthen into a tropical cyclone. By Sunday the system is likely to be north of Exmouth and continue to move toward the west. Further forecast updates and warnings can be found at: http://www.bom.gov.au/.

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On December 25 at 0400 UTC (2 p.m. local time), NASA's Terra Satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Tasha inland over northeastern Australia. The brightest white clouds indicated the highest, strongest thunderstorms within the tropical storm.Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team
Tropical Storm Tasha formed quickly in the South Pacific Ocean last weekend and made landfall on the coast of Queensland, Australia on Christmas day (local time). NASA's Terra satellite passed over Tasha after its center made landfall and captured a visible image of the storm revealing some powerful thunderstorms.

On Dec. 24, Tropical Storm Tasha formed quickly and headed for landfall near Cairns, Australia. At 1800 UTC (1 p.m. EST or 4 a.m. on Dec. 25 local time –Brisbane/Australia), Tasha was near 17.1S 146.3E, about 35 nautical miles east-southeast of Cairns with maximum sustained winds near 39 mph. At that time a NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite image showed banding of thunderstorms and the storm was getting more organized.

On Dec. 24 at 3:14 p.m. EST (6:14 a.m. local time on Dec. 25), the Australia Bureau of Meteorology issued a Severe Weather Warning, calling for "damaging winds, heavy rainfall and further flooding for people about the Queensland coast, ranges and adjacent inland areas between Cardwell and St Lawrence." In addition, a High Surf Warning was posted.

On December 25 at 0400 UTC, which was 2 p.m. local time (Australia/Brisbane time), NASA's Terra Satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Tasha inland over northeastern Australia. The satellite image showed an area of very bright white clouds around the center of the storm indicating the highest, strongest thunderstorms within the tropical storm. The image was created by the MODIS Rapid Response Team located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Tasha was generating rainfall at up to 2 inches (50 mm) per hour before it made landfall, according to NASA's TRMM satellite data. That heavy rainfall combined with another weather system that affected Queensland and created record flooding as Tasha made landfall and moved inland.

NASA's TRMM Satellite Captures Flooding in Queensland from Tasha and Another Storm

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This color-coded image shows rainfall amounts in Queensland from December 20 to 26, 2010. The heaviest rainfall amounts—more than 400 millimeters or nearly 16 inches—appear in dark blue. The lightest amounts—less than 50 millimeters or 2 inches—appear in light green. The heaviest rainfall occurs along the northeastern Queensland coast. Relatively heavy amounts also occur inland, and along the Gulf of Carpentaria.Credit: NASA TRMM/Jesse Allen/Earth Observatory
Heavy rains, some associated with Tropical Storm Tasha, battered the Queensland coast in late December 2010. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite captured rainfall data that allowed visualizers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. to map the heavy rainfall.

Tasha came ashore on December 25, 2010, just south of Cairns, according to the Herald Sun. As Tasha abated, a second low-pressure storm formed off the Queensland coast, promising more precipitation. Forecasters expected heavy rain for several more days in almost every major Queensland town. Eighteen rivers were on flood watch throughout the state as of December 27.

This color-coded image shows rainfall amounts in Queensland from December 20 to December 26, 2010. The heaviest rainfall amounts—more than 400 millimeters or nearly 16 inches—appear in dark blue. The lightest amounts—less than 50 millimeters or 2 inches—appear in light green. The heaviest rainfall occurs along the northeastern Queensland coast. Relatively heavy amounts also occur inland, and along the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Herald Sun reported that, as eastern Australia flooded, the western part of the country sweltered, with some areas experiencing temperatures of more than 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit).

This image is based on data from the Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis produced at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which estimates rainfall by combining measurements from many satellites and calibrating them using rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite.

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This image shows Tasha’s rainfall, as observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), on December 24, 2010.Credit: NASA/Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
Tropical Storm Tasha was short lived, but during its brief appearance in late December 2010, the storm pounded northeastern Australia with heavy rain. Tasha reached tropical storm strength on December 24 and made landfall along the Queensland coast the next day.

This image shows Tasha’s rainfall, as observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), on December 24, 2010. Color-coded precipitation levels (red is the highest and blue is the lowest) are superimposed on a photo-like image. Large expanses of rainfall occur along the Coral Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria, with pockets of particularly heavy rain near the Coral Sea coast.